The Auditor General has not audited the US$257 million Intelligent Transport Management System (ITMS) project, the digital motor vehicle number plate project since its inception in 2021, stunning legislators investigating the deal.
The Committee on Physical Infrastructure investigating the award and implementation of the contract to Russian company Joint Stock Global Security Ltd, today detained two senior officials from the Office of the Auditor General and ordered them to record statements with Police until Auditor General Edward Akol appears to explain the anomaly.
Anthony Kimuli, Director of Value for Money and Specialised Audit and Martin Bamulumbye, Director of Central Government Audit, appeared before the committee chaired by Hon. Mwine Mpaka, on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, where MPs questioned the failure to audit the project despite its implementation dating back to 2021.
In a letter dated 13 October 2026, read by Bamulumbye, Akol told the committee that his office planned to audit the project during the 2025 audit year. He said he had written to the Ministry of Works and Transport on 19 June 2025 seeking preliminary information and a date for an audit commencement meeting.
However, he said the ministry informed his office that the project was implemented and overseen by a multi-sectoral project management team under the Office of the President and was security-related and still in the pilot phase.
“I was also informed that, thus far, the project was fully financed by M/s Global Security Limited, a Russian Company,” Akol said.
He added that he intended to engage further with the Office of the President to conduct the audit during the current audit year.
The explanation stunned MPs, who questioned why the project had remained unaudited for years and whether the Auditor General had taken sufficient steps to obtain the necessary documents.
“The question is not asking for explanation why it has been audited or not audited,” Hon. Fred Jalameso, the Ajuri County MP said.
The officials acknowledged that the office had not examined the project’s costs and other financial details, saying they had only recently received the agreement and were still seeking additional documents. They said the information would guide a risk assessment to determine whether the project required a financial, value-for-money or public-private partnership audit.
Hon. Mpaka questioned why the office had not used its legal powers to compel government agencies to provide the documents.
“You have not made in any way any statement insinuating that you have been denied documents,” Mpaka said.
Hon. Moses Attan (FDC, Soroti East) questioned the delay in following up on the matter, noting that the Auditor General’s office had written to the ministry in 2025 but only made a subsequent follow-up in September 2026.
Hon. Jalameso argued that the failure to audit the project had deprived Parliament of an independent assessment of its costs, implementation and financial implications.
“Parliament relies on you to do investigations. We need value for money,” he said.
The officials told the committee that they had prioritised the audit for January 2027 after completing other scheduled work.
Dissatisfied with their explanations, the committee directed the duo to record statements with police and remain at Parliament until Akol appears to account for the delay.
The committee also summoned Ministry of Finance officials to appear on Thursday, 15 October 2026, as it continues with its investigations.
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